Kale is one of those foods that people seem to either love or hate. Considered a super food and extremely high in vitamins, kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods known to man! It is packed with antioxidants, nutrients and yes, even healthy fats! Plus it is loaded with fiber, providing excellent digestive support as well as kicking your body’s natural detoxification abilities into high gear. Add its anti-cancer benefits and you have a definite win-win both in nutrition and in reasons to give kale a try!

Thankfully, my kids love all types and varieties of kale, whether it is fresh out of the garden or broiled with seasoning. But for those who are normally in the “Kale—yuck!” category, yet trying to incorporate it in their diets for health reasons, this recipe is the way to go. It makes a tasty and healthy dish without the classic strong kale taste, and adjusts the texture just a tad by crisping it up. Try it! You just might decide you are a kale-fan after all! The best part is it takes less then 15 minutes to whip together this lovely accompaniment! Pairing well with sweet potato dishes, it makes a perfect side dish for the holidays.

Ingredients:
2 large bunches of Kale
2-4 tablespoons Olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper (I used coarse ground.)
1/4 teaspoon Salt (I like to use ‘Real Salt’ or ‘Himalayan Pink Salt’ for the added mineral benefits.)
1/4 teaspoon Paprika (I prefer Hungarian Paprika, but you could use Spanish or even Smoked Paprika, depending on your preference and desired taste profile.)

I love the nutritional variation, texture, and color I get when using different varieties of kale such as classic Purple Kale, standard Green Kale, Dinosaur Kale, or Red Russian Kale. For this post I am using purple and green kale since it is what I currently have on hand.

Start by washing your kale. I used one large bunch of both the purple and the green.

Remove most of the larger stem sections and break up the leaves into smaller bite size pieces.

Place your kale pieces in a bowl and drizzle olive oil over the kale.

Sprinkle on approximately 1/4 teaspoon each of Hungarian Paprika, Granulated Garlic, Black Pepper and Pink Real Salt or a salt of your choice.

Toss everything together till well incorporated.

Spread the kale in a signal layer on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.

Place in your oven under the broiler at 500* for about 8-12 minutes turning leaves over about halfway through. Be sure and watch it closely you want it where it just starts to get crispy and browned, but not burned. With kale it is easy to go from brown to burned really fast!

Once your kale has been evenly browned and is crisp on the edges, remove it from the broiler and serve.

Yes, I know this dish is rather addicting once you have tried it! I have yet to have any leftovers from the many times I have served kale this way!

Wishing you a happy and healthy diet, the Homesteading Hen